That simply comes down to poor education.
Indigenous history was hardly mentioned when I was at school. In fact, we were taught very little Australian history, in general.
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True, although I do recall Australian history being taught when I went through the system in the noughties, it wasn’t as clear or comprehensive as it could have perhaps been.
No.
On 1 January 1901, after years of debate, the various colonies in Australia joined together to form a Federation.
While the new Constitution of Australia called for a new capital to be constructed, away from the major cities, until that time Melbourne would act as the seat of government of the new nation.
Elections were held for the first Parliament of Australia and, on 9 May 1901, the newly minted federal parliament was sworn in at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Too bad May 9 falls basically in winter. It would be the perfect day
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I had kept an exercise book from social studies in primary school which I found at my parents house.
We did History of Australia in either Year 5 or 6. The only mention of indigenous history was Aboriginal art on the first page. The rest of it was Captain Cook and other explorers, First Fleet/Second Fleet, Governors and Convicts, Colonies, Rum Rebellion, Eureka Stockade, Gold Rush, Federation, World Wars, Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
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For what it’s worth, I’m fairly indifferent about the idea of changing the date. It’s not an issue I’d protest in the streets about but at the same time, I don’t think I’d be overly bothered if the date was moved from January 26.
That said if I’m being realistic, the date Australia Day is held on will inevitably change at some point in the future. Maybe that will be due to the nation becoming a republic, a recognition that not all Australians feel comfortable with the idea of marking our national day on January 26 or a combination of both.
Coastal and outback life might be what many people overseas portray Australia to be like, but the reality - which I don’t think enough of the media accurately portrays, as much as it probably should - is that most of us are products of suburban life whether we live in metropolitan or regional areas.
Not sure about other parts of Australia but from a Sydney perspective, July & August are our least pleasant Winter months. In recent years at least, we’ve generally had maximum temperatures in the Low 20s (not Summery, but hardly the same “rug up and stay inside weather” we typically get on the Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday a month later) on May 9.
For a Sydney-centric Australia Day held on a considerably less divisive date than the current one I’d personally love September 15 (what happened in Stadium Australia that night in 2000 is something most of us can be proud of), but realistically think most Australians would prefer a national holiday which is held during Summer.
The standard of education on Australian history probably depends quite a bit on where you live and what school you went to? Certainly it wouldn’t be overly surprising if many schools (particularly in more conservative areas) taught their students a distorted, colonial-centric view of Australian history, similar to what US schools seem to do with their country’s history.
Yeah, can one of the mods move all these posts into a “The debate about Australia Day” thread?
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Oh god no!
Foreigner “happy Australia Day! What does your national say represent?”
Aussie: “the day we had the Olympics”
Foreigner: 
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We both stated the same facts.
That surprises me considering we’re around the same age. Certainly settlement and the early explorers were thoroughly covered from the colonist’s viewpoint in primary school but I do recall Australian history being covered from the Indigenous perspective during early high school.
I remember doing a major unit of work on the Myall Creek massacre, reading about the near destruction of Tasmania’s Aboriginal population and learning about the forced removal of children from their families during my schooling in the mid 1980s, a time before “the stolen generation” and other unjust treatment was widely being acknowledged and discussed in mainstream media.
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Beginning to wonder if something dropped off the teaching of Australia history in the late 90s and 2000s given some stories I hear from those younger than me.
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I’ve heard this suggestion before and it’s so cringeworthy/bogan.
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FMD, I’m sorry but that’s just ridiculous to celebrate a national day because the date (when spoken the American way) sounds like mate.
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None of that was ever covered in my schooling. I can only remember History in high school being Ancient History one year and Modern History the next year. You then had to select it as an elective in following years. I don’t recall Australian history featuring in any of that.
We also did Social Studies/Asian Studies before Geography as an elective. We learnt more about Asia than Australia.
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I was refraining from commenting because of the topic but it seems that horse has bolted and is now running in the Melbourne Cup 3 years away… so hopefully this and the others will be moved to a more appropriate thread.
To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember too much about what we learned back in school and it’s all mixed in with bits that I’ve heard since then. I did know there was the difference between the referendum and the right to vote.
Being in Tasmania we covered the Tasmanian Aborogine history a reasonable amount although to add to the trifecta of missing staples from my education, I’ve never been to Tiagarra which is an Aboriginal museum here in Devonport. It was something that every primary school student in the area did at least once along with school camps and going to Joe Lyon’s house… all three are missing from my education CV!
Anyway, I’m quite indifferent to changing the date. I can see the hurt and the pain that it brings up but I’m quite surprised if it was a 1994 thing of January 26th that it was under a Labor government that must have made that decision. Was there any backlash at the time about changing the date?
I want a discussion to be able to occur so that real progress and discussions can be made to make a unified Australia. The past has happened and there has been some abhorrent things but we need to look to the future and we need everyone to be able to support the future. I would prefer a celebration (yes, I actually want a day where we can celebrate being Australian, all of us) in the summer months or on the edges because a Tassie BBQ in May is not ideal!
Unfortunately, in Tasmania the Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation aren’t the greatest for showing me that progress can be made easily. I’ve seen many posts in the past and many of their events which have unfortunately looked more like just wanting to cause trouble and get on TV than to look for real progress and meaning, although they have been involved in some good things with dual naming now occurring more but I’ve seen them turn actual discussions into a screaming match and arrests and the topics of discussion changed to others and pretty much telling all whites to move off the island.
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Yes we did Myall Creek and Tasmanian Genocide in Year 10 history back in the mid 90s
I am like you. I’m 36 and even I can’t remember even doing anything on aboriginal culture nor history in secondary college or primary school. we touched very briefly on it on tafe when I was doing a tafe equvlent of high school but it wasn’t much. and yes I want us all to celebrate being Australian as one. maybe not may 8 as thought as some suggest to my now deleted to post. I do believe there are good and bad in every culture even in aboriginal culture. i also can see the hurt and pain it brings up every Australia day. this is why I am suggesting we all get together and start talking. and hopefully one day we can bring about change. now referring to the good and bad in every culture . the western highway -freeway duplication near my old home town of Ararat here in VIC is a prime example. the local aboriginal tribes IMO are making them selfs an embarrassment in what they have and are causing to try and stop this from going ahead. even the local elder has said she wanted to go to every resident and pop in their letterbox an apology letter for everything they have caused. i have read a report in the local paper, they have been in the past going up and harassing a local farmer and not allowing him to do the things he needs to do
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My question now is: regardless of losing a public holiday, what reason is there not to change the date of Australia Day?
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Politics - if you’re in the opposition demand it must be changed now and if you’re in the government then it’s taking the heat off the other issues and no doubt you’ve got your list of arguments already there.
Change the government and suddenly things aren’t a priority as they were in the opposition and next Aus Day it’ll become the hottest most important topic by the new opposition.
Rinse, repeat and have the same arguments in 30 years time.
/cynical
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About that - shocking, but in parts not necessarily surprising that PM Scott Morrison said this a few days ago:
“You know, when those 12 ships turned up in Sydney, it wasn’t a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels either.”
It was thought to be him
drawing a false equivalence between those aboard the First Fleet and the experience of Australia’s Indigenous people.
And I guess you could tell by now that Scott Morrison doesn’t want to change the date.
“It’s not even a debate we’re having at the moment. I don’t want to be distracted by that,” he told Seven’s Sunrise.
Politics really does play a big part in this, and probably one of the only reasons holding this date up as you suggested.
I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but that’s seemingly what the ABC is questioning.
So, should we buckle up for another three decades of wearying debate?
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